9 Reading Terms You Should Know

Note: These terms are also used in writing.

Topic: A topic is the general subject of a text. The text may be as lengthy as a chapter or as short as a paragraph.

• The topic is a phrase, not a complete sentence.
• It might be a title or subtitle but doesn’t have to be.
• It answers the basic question, “Who or what is this selection about?”

Thesis: A thesis is the focus of a complete work, such as an article, essay, or chapter, and it covers all the main ideas within the text.

• It is a complete sentence and, therefore, a complete thought.
• It is a statement, declaration, assertion, or claim about the topic and never a question or fact.
• It answers the question, “What is the point that the author is making about the topic?”
• If you are writing an assignment that has a prompt question, your thesis will be your direct answer to the writing prompt.

Central Idea: A central idea is the focus of several combined paragraphs or a short section of a larger work, such as a chapter out of a book.

• It is a complete sentence and, therefore, a complete thought.
• It is a statement, or claim, about the topic and never a question or fact.
• Sometimes, a thesis and a central idea are the same thing, but a central idea does not always cover all the ideas within a text, whereas the thesis does.
• It answers the question, “What is the point that the author is making about the topic in this particular section?”
• There may be multiple central ideas captured under one larger thesis.

Main Idea: A main idea is the focus of a paragraph (or a small group of paragraphs).

• It is a complete sentence and therefore a complete thought.
• It is the main point that the author is making about a topic in a specific paragraph.
• It answers the question, “What is the main point the author is making about the topic in this specific paragraph?”
• It is a statement, or claim, about the topic and never a question or fact.

Supporting Details: Details explain or support an idea.

• They are reasons, examples, facts, steps, personal experience, or other kinds of evidence that explain the main idea.
• They answer the question, “What details or evidence is supporting the main idea within the paragraph?”
• There is often more than one supporting detail in each paragraph
• They are more specific than the main idea

Implied Thesis, Central Ideas, and Main Ideas: Implied means that these follow all the characteristics of a stated thesis, central idea, and main idea, but they are not actually stated in the text. The reader has to use the other stated parts of the text to figure out the main idea.